The site, in the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis, now Pamukkale in southwestern Turkey, is said to closely match historical descriptions of what was known as Ploutonion in Greek and Plutonium in Latin

"Any animal that passes inside meets instant death. I threw in sparrows and they immediately breathed their last and fell."

But while this may sound like something straight from the Indiana Jones movies, there seems to be some science behind it all.

Indeed birds have recently perished at the site.

Among the ruins the archaeologists uncovered a cave with Ionic semi columns.

Upon them were inscriptions with dedications to other gods of the underworld - Pluto and Kore.

Mr D'Andria told Discovery News: "We could see the cave's lethal properties during the excavation.